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Going back to work

I am expecting my first child in about 6 weeks and am planning on breastfeeding. I will have to return to work about 6 weeks after the baby is born and am trying to research breast pumps. I have read a lot of customer reviews but am nervous about actually buying a pump. Is this something that I should wait to purchase after the baby is born or should I have it ready beforehand? One customer review that I read mentioned a store where they have test models available for you to try out before you purchase a pump. Is there anyway to locate a store like that and is it recommended to go there? I have a ton of questions and none of my friends have ever breastfed...

Re: Going back to work

Many mothers return to work after the birth of their baby and continue breastfeeding. The best pumps for mothers who will be replacing a feeding with a pumping session are hospital-grade double pumps. Many versions are available, with different features.

You'll probably want to practice pumping before you actually return to work, so that you're first day back goes smoother, so you'll need one several days or weeks before you return to work. However, you probably shouldn't try pumping before the birth of the baby, it might start contractions.

When making the decision to purchase a pump, research the company that makes it. If it's a company that also produces formula, they have a vested interest in breastfeeding failing for you, so the pump will be low-quality. You can see some pumps that *aren't* made by formula companies here: http://www.lalecheleague.org/Web_sto...=4834529_12927.

Buying or borrowing a used pump isn't a good idea, bacteria and viruses can live inside the pump, and make your baby sick. Also, parts can be worn out, and need replacing, but manufacturers won't cover this if you're not the original owner.

Some things to look for when purchasing the pump - warranty, customer support, ways of carrying the pump, included cooler for your pumped milk (will it be big enough for a day's worth of milk?), can the pump be adjusted to use with bags?, are other sizes of flanges available for larger/smaller breasts?, noise level of pump, ability to pump hands-free, and weight of pump and it's accessories.

Some pumps also have extra parts available for purchase. You can buy extra flanges, tubes, bottles, and lids, so there is less for you to wash in between pumpings while you are at work, which means less time spent pumping, which usually means a happier boss!

If you can, attend a LLL meeting in your area, and talk to other mothers there. They can offer their personal favorites, as well as the best places in your area to purchase pumps and supplies.

I don't know of any stores that have pumps available for purchasers to try out, although maybe some lactation consultants would have one. You could call and ask, though.

Re: Going back to work

For both of my children I returned to work when they were 8 weeks old.

*I started pumping 2 oz per boob per day when they were about 4 weeks old (usually during a morning nap).

*When my baby was 5-6 weeks old, I started taking my baby to the daycare for an hour or two. I would pump and my daycare provider would give my baby a bottle of EBM. The daycare provider was the only one to give my baby a bottle, not daddy or grandma.

*A day or two before returning to work, I did a trial run at daycare (got my haircut or went to the dentist) for a few hours.

*We co-sleep. Babies tend to reverse cycle when you go back to work. By co-sleeping I was able to feed my baby every few hours at night and still funtion at work. I believe this helped prevent me from ever having a supply problem.

*I started pumping 3 oz per boob 3 times per day. When my baby reverse cycled, I was able to drop down to twice a day (after a couple months).

Note: With my first child, we thought she'd be sleeping in her crib right away. The crib didn't come in time, so we bought a co-sleeper basinet. Anyways, I started off nursing my dd to sleep in bed. Once she was asleep I would gently move her to the co-sleeper. She would then wake up and puke. So the whole cycle continued... Finally we just let her sleep in our bed and it was the first time any of us got sleep since she was born.

Re: Going back to work

I purchased a pump on the advice of a close friend before my four week old was born. Thank goodness I did!!! I was engorged and the pump relieved the pressure, at 2 in the morning. I have been pumping since my milk came in because I want to have enough milk in the freezer to supplement with if necessary. I bought a Medela Pump in Style Advanced and used a Medela hospital grade pump while my little one was in the hospital for 5 days.

Re: Going back to work

I used an Avent Isis with both of my children and it worked well, but a friend lent me her Medela Pump in Style Advanced after my DS was born, and it also worked very well. Just a note, I learned that if you take out the rubber insert in the Avent Isis, it works much better. Best of luck going back to work!

Re: Going back to work

I couldn't agree more with the previous posters! Definitely PRACTICE pumping before you go back to work... get used to it because it certainly is strange when you first start . Pump in the mornings when you have extra milk and let your husband give the baby a bottle on the weekends. Start your baby on bottles around 4 weeks so she/he gets used to them -- once they get used to the boob some don't like the bottle.

Also, if you have the ability, carve out time in your day just for pumping. Act as though you have a meeting and schedule things around pumping. (obviously you can't do that all the time, but try to be consistent).

Re: Going back to work

Also, don't panic (or try not to anyway) if you find you have days where you pump less than others. I had been pumping on average 10-12 oz over the 8 hours I'm away from my now 8 MO, then suddenly I had a day where I only got about 6. Over the course of a couple of weeks, I'm now getting approx 8 oz. In part, I think it's because DD is nursing less now that she's so into her solids. However, just as suddenly as I saw the dip in my production, over the past 2 days I'm definitely starting to feel a big upsurge. Fortunately, I have plenty in the freezer, so I've got a nice cushion in case I can't get enough for her one day. When my supply did suddenly get really low, I just made a point of pumping a few extra oz each morning on Saturday and Sunday. If you're like most people, you may find your supply highest in the a.m. I try to pump a little more frequently in the a.m. at work because I definitely get more then. By the afternoon pumping, there's a marked decrease.

Re: Going back to work

I also used the Medela Pump In Style (backpack) and it was great!! I bought it before the baby was born, just in case, and I'm glad I did, because I was so sore the first couple of weeks that I pumped quite often and my husband fed the baby with a medicine dropper (I was no good at it) so I could heal up.